After The Battle
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: [Sequel to Shattered Destiny]. After the fall of Beacon, Yang, Pyrrha, and their friends go their separate ways - some against their will, some to recuperate, and some to find answers. But Yang and Pyrrha stay together, through thick and thin.
1. Promise

**Sequel to Shattered Destiny! This fic was another request from the same patron/customer, my good friend beacontactics! It'll cover Yang and Pyrrha's time together in Patch.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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After The Battle

Chapter 1. Promise

After the attack on Beacon Academy, the school had been shut down for an undetermined amount of time. Major repairs need to be arranged, various people needed healing and recuperation, and their headmaster was missing, all of which combined to form hectic circumstances.

As such, the students had made their own arrangements to locate places to stay.

However, in most cases, the school authorities didn't know where their students disappeared to. With Beacon Tower in ruins, there were no means of proper, efficient communication at the present time.

Some students took air ships back to their homelands, whereas others vanished halfway across the kingdoms into unknown lands.

Much had been lost and destroyed due to the invasion of Grimm and the attacks of the White Fang.

But only a few people knew that, had it not been for a certain girl, the devastation and loss of life would have been ten times as great.

Yang never gave herself enough credit for what she'd done, for the deaths she'd prevented and the things she'd salvaged.

Once she had been discharged from the infirmary at Beacon, it had been crucial that she consult with Ruby and their friends, and decide what their next plan of action would be. At the time, Ruby and Yang knew that their father must have desperately wanted them home. Yang was willing to go, while Ruby seemed only half as eager.

Blake made it known that she wanted to return to Menagerie to see her own parents, show them she was all right, and consult with them on the affairs of the White Fang.

Weiss said she wanted to locate Winter and go to her, no matter where that might be.

However, Jaune, Nora, and Ren had decided there was an insatiable thirst for answers they couldn't ignore, and announced that the three of them intended to go out on a journey to find them. The others voiced their concerns about such an idea, all except Ruby.

But Pyrrha opposed the notion more than anyone. For the first time, she didn't want to go with her team, nor did she want them to go.

But it soon became clear to them all that some things were inevitable, and impossible to change.

It wasn't long before students were evacuated from Beacon on air ships that had destinations set for every kingdom and place on Remnant. But in the chaos of the bustling crowds and confusion of where some of them were going, they'd lost one another.

Weiss' father had come for her before she'd been able to figure out where to go to find Winter. He'd used the force of his authority in order to take her home, demanding she return to Atlas to recover from her extensive injuries. Though Weiss knew that wasn't why he wanted her back home at all.

Blake ended up heading for Menagerie along with Sun, but the ship arrived so unexpectedly and departed so quickly they never got a chance to say goodbye to their companions and teammates properly.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora made it known that they would be embarking on a journey of their own, but they never said where they would be going. Pyrrha just barely managed to pull them all into a hug and pray for their safety, promising she'd come find them soon if they didn't manage to find her first.

Due to the nasty gash Cinder had inflicted on her ankle, Pyrrha still had a limp to her gait, and she was in no condition to be walking foreign lands on a journey that had no concrete destination. Her weapon had also been destroyed, and she needed it to be repaired before she could even consider going out into a Grimm-infested world once again.

Nora and Ren seemed a little confused as to why Pyrrha wouldn't join them. But Jaune seemed to know something most others didn't.

Pyrrha understood why he didn't push her to join them in their expedition. He'd been in the basement with her and Ozpin. He knew about the Maiden's powers.

And considering Cinder had fled and Pyrrha was alive, he must've known she was rightfully hosting those powers once again.

Jaune was sworn to secrecy that he'd never speak a word about her powers.

Pyrrha herself had been pulled aside by certain persons, and it had been made absolutely clear to her that no one must know about her powers at this time, or anytime until she had properly consulted with all parties involved with this massive secret. She had understood.

And even though Jaune had never made a verbal oath to her specifically, Pyrrha saw that reassurance in his eyes; she dipped her head in thanks to him.

And so, she saw the three of them off before the crowds consumed them, and an air ship took them away.

Pyrrha cried as she waved after them, because even though she trusted they would be all right if they were together, some part of her still felt that unbearable sentiment that she was losing them somehow.

At the very least, she wasn't alone.

Yang was at her side, pulling her in and consoling her. Ruby hugged her from the other side.

Together, they offered to bring Pyrrha back to Patch with them for a while so she could recover.

And she gratefully accepted, and hugged them both as she wept.

So the three of them and Zwei had taken a ship to Patch. The flight was long and lonely, but not as lonely as it could have been. At least the three of them had each other – sisters, friends, and saviors.

Once they had landed, it was necessary to take a carriage back to Ruby and Yang's home, for the sake of keeping Pyrrha off her bad ankle and to speed up their arrival.

Of course, their father had been a mess. He was so relieved to see his daughters, but distraught to discover what had happened to Yang. She made it very clear she didn't want his pity or anyone else's. She just wanted to rest and not think about things for a while.

She was still hurt by how abruptly they'd lost Weiss to her father, how they'd lost Blake and Sun in the crowds, how they'd lost everyone else but each other.

Yang was just glad she still had Ruby and Pyrrha, at the very least.

Or so she'd thought.

* * *

Tai had been pleasant and inviting to Pyrrha, more than willing to accommodate her, despite her arrival being unexpected. She apologized profusely for that, to which he casually waved it off.

Ruby let down Zwei, and he went scampering over and jumped into her father's arms, while Yang entered their home almost wordlessly. Everything still felt wrong to her.

Well, all the things she _could_ still feel, anyway.

Dinner that night was a struggle for her. She had to keep asking Ruby to cut her meat for her, and for Pyrrha to pass her anything from the right side of the table. They could all see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice, how helpless she felt, how useless...

And they all did their best to help her with it by not drawing attention to it. They just acted like everything was normal, even though Yang knew they understood full-well that it wasn't.

That irritated her for some reason she herself couldn't understand.

Part of her wanted to shout at them and tell them to treat her like the invalid she was.

But the other part of her was too defeated for that, too exhausted.

And still, another part of her had to admit it was grateful for all they _were_ doing and _trying_ to do for her sake.

Other than that, dinner consisted of relaying news and information to their father. When he asked Pyrrha why she had come to Patch to stay with them rather than anywhere else, she merely told him she was indebted to his daughters and longed to stay close to them.

It was an answer that left much more unsaid than it left out in the open, but Tai accepted it nonetheless.

That night, he offered Pyrrha a guest room on the second floor in between Ruby's and Yang's rooms. Yang lent Pyrrha a set of sleepwear clothes, and received a gentle hug and even gentler words of gratitude in return. Ruby was sure to hug Pyrrha goodnight as well before turning to Yang and squeezing her tightly for a long, long time.

At the time, Pyrrha and Yang both interpreted Ruby's embrace as the embrace of a girl who was just relieved the worst of it was over, a girl who was willing to settle down for a time and recuperate.

* * *

The next morning, when they found nothing in Ruby's bed but a letter, they realized how foolish they'd been for making such assumptions.

Of course Ruby Rose would never sit still during such times, not unless she was literally chained down, and even then they knew she'd find a way out.

But this was just too much for Yang. She'd been upset about losing Weiss and Blake as it was, so to lose Ruby the very next morning...

That sorrow, compiled atop the depression that came with the loss of her arm, nearly broke her.

Suddenly, that long hug Ruby had given her last night made all too much sense. The only comfort in it all was the fact that she'd told Yang she loved her, and Yang had said it back.

But now, she felt more alone than ever, more so than she'd felt being locked up and isolated in that detention cell in the middle of the Tournament.

Things only seemed to be getting worse for her, even after the worst of it all was supposedly over.

She couldn't take any more of this.

Yang locked herself in her room all day and cried. She was deaf to her father's hapless attempts to console her and to justify Ruby's actions.

She refused any voice of reason, internal or external. She just needed to take some time to be miserable by herself.

Tai seemed to understand.

But Pyrrha couldn't bear it.

She stayed outside Yang's room all day and talked quietly to her, about anything and everything. She stayed there until nightfall, by which time her voice was as raspy from speaking as Yang's was from crying.

And Pyrrha made a promise to her then.

"I won't leave you, Yang."

She stayed outside Yang's door all night long, until the crying on the other side finally stopped.

And on the quietest, darkest hour of the night, Yang opened her door and let her in.

* * *

 **A/N: Just something brief to start us off here. I wanted to give Yang a bit of a bitter kind of tone/feeling, because she's still guilty/resentful of her injury.**

 **Please review!**


	2. Where To Go From Here

**I hope you can appreciate my twist on canon events. I still want to have some happen in this story, but they will happen in different ways.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 2. Where To Go From Here

Pyrrha entered Yang's bedroom slowly, making sure to give Yang the space and authority to tell her to turn around and leave if she suddenly changed her mind.

But Yang didn't send Pyrrha away. She was one of the few people she had left.

Pyrrha closed the door behind herself, and quietly looked Yang over in the darkness. Her clothes and hair were ruffled, the right sleeve of her nightgown hanging limply at her side. Her face was streaked with the trails of dried and fresh tears, and her eyes were leaking more by the second.

But despite all the misery in her gaze, there was also a certain level of clarity. They'd been talking to one another from opposite sides of that door for hours on end, but now that they were face to face, both girls fell silent.

Where did they go from here? Neither really seemed to know.

So Pyrrha tried anything she could think of, settling for two familiar words.

"I'm sorry..."

She lowered her gaze, feeling a stinging sensation behind her own eyes now as Yang stood there before her, broken in every sense of the word.

Pyrrha didn't know what to expect. If Yang told her to leave, she would offer one last effort to remain there, but if she was asked a second time, she would go. If she was told to stay, then she would stay.

But what she couldn't bear was the silence. This heavy, deafening silence, where everything felt suffocating, like it was about to collapse the walls with them both still inside.

Had it not been for Pyrrha, talking to her for hours on end tonight, Yang would have been alone with that silence. It would have consumed her, in body and in mind. Yang needed her to know she was grateful, but it took her a amount deal of time to rediscover her own voice.

For a while, they both just stood there, facing one another, fighting back tears. The silence ensued; not even the wind outside the house made any noise for a long while.

The only time Pyrrha took her eyes off of Yang was when she noticed a flash of movement outside the window. A black bird was perched there, looking in. A shudder ran through Pyrrha, and she didn't understand why. But when she made eye contact with the bird, it flew away.

Finally, Yang pushed a rasp of a voice up her clogged throat, and out of her lips.

"Were you lying...?" she croaked.

Pyrrha lifted her head right away, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. A few of them slipped down her cheeks as she met Yang's stoic gaze. Her eyes looked almost dead, almost void of emotion during a time where they should've been overflowing with them.

It didn't take Pyrrha long to understand what Yang was referring to, that being Pyrrha's earlier statement that she wasn't going to leave her. Pyrrha inhales sharply, and replies surely.

"I wasn't."

Yang didn't flinch, didn't even blink at her response. Her expression remained one of stone, her voice equally as cold and hard.

"What if I asked you to leave?"

"Then I would ask you to let me stay."

"What if I _told_ you to leave?"

"Then I would go."

After that, the silence returned for a while, both girls struggling to keep themselves upright past the threat of blinding tears and shaking knees. Their eyes moved slowly, up and across one another. Each of them observed something of themselves in the other person, be it loneliness, fear, or something a little kinder, a little more vulnerable.

After a time, Pyrrha posed the next question.

"Yang. Are you asking me to leave?"

And something broke inside of Yang, something that made her waver and take a step back.

"N-No..."

So Pyrrha didn't waste another second. If Yang didn't even plan to _ask_ her to leave, there wasn't even a reason to consider the possible idea of Yang _telling_ her to.

Pyrrha rushed forward, as quickly as her bad foot could allow, and placed a hand on Yang's back just to keep her from falling. She didn't want to initiate any more contact than was absolutely necessary, even if she herself might have wanted to.

But Yang's entire weight wobbled, and Pyrrha found it necessary to hold her with both arms, guiding her with heavy steps back toward the bed to sit her down on the edge.

But even after Yang was safely and surely supported, she reached up for Pyrrha anyway. With her lone hand, Yang curled her fingers into the back of Pyrrha's borrowed nightgown, digging her nails in.

Pyrrha had no choice or oppositions to it when Yang pulled her down beside her, sitting on the edge of the bed with their arms wrapped around one another. They pressed close together, letting the tears fall not-so-silently anymore into each other's loose hair and stiff shoulders.

Pyrrha could only manage to repeat her apologies in fragments.

"I'm sorry... I-I'm so sorry, Yang..." She felt more and more wretched each time.

Yang soon discovered that Pyrrha was crying more than _she_ was, even though she arguably had far less to be upset about. Eventually, Yang cut off her string of apologies with a single word.

"Why?"

Pyrrha bit her lip immediately when she heard Yang's reply, when she got any kind of reaction from her other than silence and sobbing. She clung more tightly to Yang, some part of herself frustrated that Yang could only hug her back with half as much force and fervor.

And Pyrrha hardly thought. She just answered.

"Because of what happened... because of everything... because it was _my fault_..."

Yang had expected the first two, to some degree. But not that last one. She swallowed thickly, and only half of it went down, causing her to cough.

"How...?" she whispered. "How the hell is any of this _your_ fault, Pyrrha?"

That answer seemed so obvious to Pyrrha herself.

"Because... The prophecies, the Maiden's powers, the things you had to do... All of it happened... because _I exist..._ "

And Yang truly hadn't believed that was why Pyrrha had been apologizing all this time. She understood now that it wasn't out of pity for Yang, that they hadn't just been helpless, empty words to fill the silence.

Pyrrha... truly believed it was all her own fault. Simply for being _born_.

Yang wouldn't allow her to continue thinking like that.

"Pyrrha..." Slowly, she eased herself back from her, though her hand still clung to the side of Pyrrha's nightgown. "None of this... is your fault..."

Pyrrha shook her head.

"I can't see it being anyone else's..."

Yang grunted to clear her throat.

"Of course you can't. You're Pyrrha Nikos. You don't blame anyone except yourself, if you can help it." Yang lifted her gaze and found hers, holding it so imploringly that Pyrrha couldn't look away. "Pyrrha... This... all of _this_... Beacon, the dragon, the prophecies..." She moved what was left of her right arm, to imply its inclusion as well.

"This wasn't your fault, Pyrrha. If it hadn't been you and me and the rest of us, the Maiden's powers would've... caused all of this for someone else. And maybe those people wouldn't have been able to do what we did. To save the Maiden, her friends, and everyone else by only paying one arm."

Pyrrha shuddered at the blatant mention of it.

"But I... if it weren't for me... those people wouldn't have infiltrated the Tournament and sabotaged your match, the school never would have been attacked, none of us would've been as hurt... and Ruby never would have left you..."

The silence began to creep back in after that. Pyrrha did her best to stifle her sobs, just so she might be able to hear Yang's response clearly. She couldn't look her in the eyes anymore at this point. She could only look at what was left of her arm, believing it was all her fault Yang had lost it.

Perhaps it was better overall for only one person to have lost a limb than for thousands more to have lost their lives. But even as things were now, the suffering hadn't ended. It continued in various other ways, for all of them.

 _But... if we were all dead... we wouldn't be able to suffer like this..._

After all, suffering is a privilege of the living.

When she thought about it that way, Pyrrha slowly began to understand Yang's strange level-headedness on this topic.

At last, Yang gave a response.

"Maybe."

Pyrrha sniffled again, and lifted her eyes just a bit, though still not high enough to find Yang's. The blonde continued, elaborating on her response.

" _Maybe_... none of this would have happened," she murmurs correctively. "We can't ever really be sure, can we? If you hadn't existed, who's to say the Maiden wouldn't have been Weiss or Nora or any of our other friends at Beacon? Who's to say I wouldn't have been given the same visions and done the same things for them and it all would've ended the same way?

"But the truth is... we'll never know... because that _isn't_ the reality we're living in, Pyrrha. The reality we're living in... is the one where you're alive, and you're the Fall Maiden."

Despite her precarious emotional state, there was nothing but sound truth in her words. Pyrrha was astounded by Yang's strength, by her ability to realize all of these things Pyrrha herself couldn't even begin to observe past all of her self-resentment and guilt.

She couldn't think of anything else to say. All she could do was slump forward into Yang's chest and cry into her neck.

And Yang just kept her arm around her, resting her chin atop her head. Oddly enough, providing comfort for someone else remained to be her own primary source of comfort, even at a time like this.

"Maybe..." Yang repeated. " _Maybe_ none of this would have happened. Maybe it would have. But... you know... there's one thing that definitely wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been born, Pyrrha..."

Only then does Pyrrha lift her eyes to Yang's once again. She can't find her voice in order to ask, so she lets her gaze do it. To her surprise, Yang actually manages a small, wobbly smile.

"I... never would've fallen in love with you..."

Pyrrha's breath hitched.

"Y...Yang..."

Silence again.

Truth be told, hardly a second had gone by since that kiss on the rooftop when neither of them had been reliving it. Small as it had been, it had held more meaning and more secrets than either could ever have put into words.

That kiss hadn't just been something for Pyrrha to do to help ease Yang's pain at the time.

That hadn't just been the potential farewell kiss of a friend.

It had, in fact, served as both of those things to some degree.

But it had served as something else much greater.

They hadn't had the time or reason to address that kiss, or reflect on it properly, until now.

In the end, it had taken all of this – nightmarish prophecies, lingering threats of death, the loss of an arm and a little sister – for them to see what had always been there.

None of this would have happened without Pyrrha's being alive. Above all others, _her_ existence had been the one Yang's had been drawn to, just as Pyrrha had been drawn to hers.

That might've been the only form of destiny either of them were willing to accept.

Their eyes locked, frozen together through the darkness, emerald and lavender. The silence returned for a time, as both girls tried to figure out things they'd never been able to consider before.

They'd always been good friends, back when times had been simpler; when they'd hurry to classes together along with their teammates, when they'd train and spar together when they managed to get half an hour alone together, when they'd made jokes and laughed until there were tears streaming down their faces.

Now, the tears were for different reasons, but hardly ones less pleasant.

It was all Pyrrha could do to stay still as Yang reached forward and brushed her thumb across her wet cheeks, one at a time. Pyrrha made no move to return the gesture. She was still in shock.

"Yang... are you...?" _Certain about this...?_

For fear of offending her, she didn't finish the question.

She didn't want to believe Yang was just doing this because of all else that had gone wrong. She didn't want to believe Yang was only trying to hold onto Pyrrha simply because she was the only person Yang had left.

That fear was there inside her chest, the fear that perhaps this wasn't love in the way Pyrrha had always longed for it to be.

But such fears were dashed when she finally managed to find Yang's eyes once again.

And they were clearer than they had ever been before.

With a single, simple glance, Yang gave her answer.

And it wasn't because Ruby was gone.

It wasn't because Pyrrha was all she had left.

It wasn't because she needed her just for tonight.

It was because she'd _always_ needed her, even before she had known it, and because she'd _keep_ needing her for as long as she lived.

As such, Yang had never been more certain about anything in her entire life. She'd be damned if she wasn't going to do everything within her power to be with Pyrrha, especially when the feelings were mutual.

Yang demonstrated her certainty in a way that would be unmistakable. She cupped her hand on the side of Pyrrha's face and leaned close, closing her eyes. She stopped when her lips were just an inch shy of Pyrrha's, and waited.

Pyrrha, on the other hand, felt they had waited long enough. She covered that final inch of space between them and kissed her.

It was gentle, but firm – timid, but real. Pyrrha's arms found their way around Yang's sides and back, while Yang looped her arm around Pyrrha's shoulders.

Their lips bumped together again. But just that was enough.

Both were excited to lie their emotions bare and feel the elation of having them reciprocated.

But it was still a hurtful night. Ruby was gone, they were still separated from their friends.

The kisses only soothed them for so long, until they both decided it would be best to hold them off until a time when they would be able to appreciate them to the fullest.

For now, the kisses remained light, soft, existing merely to erase tears and stave off more of them. Their hair shimmered in the slivers of moonlight streaming in, highlighting the last of their tears as they dripped into each other's laps.

They held one another until neither one was crying any longer.

Pyrrha longed to stay, but she was afraid this kind of conduct wasn't appropriate, especially since she was a guest in someone else's house. Her eyes spoke of such fears, and Yang interpreted them with ease. The blonde girl sniffled, and interlocked her fingers with Pyrrha's.

"Stay."

Just one word.

That was all she said.

But it was the only invitation Pyrrha needed.

After all, Pyrrha had promised to do as much, herself.

So she pulled down the bed sheets and helped Yang underneath, only to have Yang coax her down as well. They tangled themselves together, in an embrace that was desperate yet soft. The strength of their emotions gave strength to their arms around one another, but their kisses remained light and feathery.

They were both so delicate. The two who were once some of Beacon's strongest huntresses, now trembling in each other's arms.

But there was no fear to be found in that room anymore. Only something much, much stronger.

Something as strong as their arms, but as gentle as their kisses.

Something they couldn't quite say yet.

Something that could remain without needing to be said.

Pyrrha kept her promise.

She didn't leave her.

And when Yang woke the next morning, she wasn't alone.

* * *

 **A/N: I always enjoy writing scenes like these, the nights when two people realize something for the first time.**

 **Please review!**


	3. Step By Step

**Thanks as always to all my readers!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 3. Step By Step

Waking the next morning was strange for Yang.

Before she even opened her eyes, her mind was clogged by the reality she never wanted to acknowledge – that Ruby was still gone.

She continued lying there for several minutes, hoping her mind would shake off the reality as some kind of nightmare. She wanted to go downstairs for breakfast and see her little sister sitting there. She wanted to hug her with both arms.

But this reality never faded. It stayed, stubborn and bitter, and Yang couldn't wake up from it.

It took her a while to finally accept it, or at least begin to.

Ruby was still gone.

But at least Pyrrha had kept her promise.

When Yang opened her eyes, she found Pyrrha lying next to her, still in slumber. She was breathing peacefully, her hair loose and in a charming disarray, her hand still reaching out in Yang's direction.

If Yang's losing her arm had been real, and if Ruby's leaving had been real, there was one other memory Yang actually hoped was real as well.

Last night _hadn't_ been just a dream. She and Pyrrha had established something neither had ever established before with anyone else.

Yang could easily still remember the warmth of Pyrrha's body pressed close to hers, the tickle of her lips, the unspoken promise of her actions. The flutter Yang felt in her stomach when she gazed at Pyrrha's sleeping expression spoke volumes about what had happened last night.

With her arm, sister, and teammates gone now, there was absolutely no reason for Yang to be feeling so unnaturally giddy. She almost felt guilty on top of it all – it didn't feel right to be almost content enough to smile after everything that had happened.

But she just... couldn't help it.

Her love for Pyrrha was real, and there was certainly no denying that.

But she didn't know how she should handle things this morning once Pyrrha woke. She didn't know what to say, what kind of expression to make. She didn't know if she'd be able to look her in the eye.

Intimidated by her own misgivings, Yang pushed herself up from her pillow and slowly moved her legs off the side of the bed. She didn't get up, but merely sat there, staring.

Her mind was as empty as her stomach after a day of grief and fasting. She didn't think, didn't reflect, didn't consider. She just stared. Stared and felt all she could manage to feel, which was close to nothing.

White noise seemed to silently pierce her ears straight through her skull. Blinking felt heavy, like she was about to cry again. She almost wished she would.

But for whatever reason, she couldn't. She didn't know if she was beyond the point of needing to cry anymore, or if she'd cried all her body could manage, or if she just wasn't upset enough to cry because of what she'd found in Pyrrha.

She didn't know. She just sat in the silence of the room, her peripheral vision vaguely noticing the shadows moving across the wall, cast in by the morning light.

Time meant nothing to her until Pyrrha stirred.

Yang heard her sit up, mumble softly to herself, then clear her throat. Yang braced herself for questions about last night, for words of resentment or regret as she called it all a mistake. Yang wouldn't blame Pyrrha if she simply left the room without saying so much as a word to her, and forgot about it all, pretended it never happened.

She waited for it to happen, for Pyrrha to leave her, accuse her, play it off as a joke – anything.

Anything that would hurt Yang, anything that would make her feel the pain and sorrow she knew she was _supposed_ to be feeling right now, instead of feeling almost _happy_.

Some part of her hated Pyrrha for not doing that. Instead, with her voice soft and raspy with the remnants of slumber, she asked her.

"Shall we go to breakfast?"

That was all.

She didn't rescind the feelings she'd claimed to have last night.

She didn't pity Yang for her sorry, confused state.

She didn't even demand Yang try to look at the bright side of things.

She simply made an offer that confirmed everything Yang had ever known and loved about her.

Pyrrha offered a hand, and Yang accepted, then followed her out of the room.

Yang hated herself for it, but she smiled, just a little.

* * *

They didn't tell Tai anything about what had happened between them. It was still surreal to them, to some degree, and they wanted to figure things out together before presenting this information to anyone else, especially Yang's father.

He was just glad to see his eldest daughter out of her room and at the table again. He knew she wouldn't have come out of her own volition so soon, therefore he attributed her more favorable behavior to Pyrrha's influence.

He didn't want to push her though, so he didn't bring up Ruby or any other concerning matters that morning. He simply told them he had errands to run in town today, and told them to relax before he stepped out the door.

Pyrrha and Yang found themselves in a silent house once he was gone, but the silence didn't last very long. Thankfully, Zwei had stayed behind and was more than willing to make noise.

As Pyrrha, still wearing her borrowed nightgown, was putting her dishes into the sink, the corgi rushed over to start jumping up around her ankles, yipping excitedly. Pyrrha chuckled.

"My, my! Someone's energetic this morning!"

He was definitely the only one unaffected by Ruby's absence. Yang knew it was because he was used to it, unlike herself. She stood and carried her own dishes to the sink as well.

"Some of his toys are in the living room," she said softly. "You should play with him if you want."

Yang thought Pyrrha might become anxious or nervous at some point, since she probably didn't know how to be acting around Yang right now. But if she was feeling nervous, she didn't let it show at all.

"Oh, really? Then I think you'll have to show me how it's done, Yang."

Pyrrha offered her a small smile, her eyes calm. Yang knew then and there that Pyrrha wouldn't be upset if she refused. Pyrrha was a positive person by nature. Therefore, she was going with that trademark positivity, even on such a solemn day.

Part of Yang almost found it annoying, how both her father and Pyrrha were trying to act as though nothing was wrong.

But she also understood why they were acting that way. Acknowledging the bad things, and reminding Yang of them would only drag everyone's moods down even further into a depression.

Pyrrha was demonstrating a level of energy that wasn't exhausting, nor did it feel forced.

It just made things feel... normal.

And that was something Yang really appreciated.

So after she deposited her dishes into the sink, she followed Pyrrha into the living room. Zwei scampered after them both without a care in the world, eager and excited as ever.

Yang caught Pyrrha's eye for a second, then indicated a small basket filled with dog toys beneath a coffee table.

"There they are; his favorite things, other than people."

Zwei confirmed her statement with a bark, then ran over to the basket, his stump of a tail wagging rapidly. Pyrrha chuckled again.

"I can see why! They certainly look like fun toys."

She made an effort to crouch down, but froze when a sudden soreness shot through her bad ankle. Wincing, she staggered, and Yang quickly reached out to steady her by the shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Zwei tilted his head and pawed at the basket again. Pyrrha straightened herself up and frowned.

"I'm sorry, Zwei. I'm not sure if I'll be able to play with you after all..."

Not only was Pyrrha dejected by that possibility, but Zwei whimpered as well.

However, Yang wasn't about to let the promise of an easygoing day go to waste.

"Tell ya what..." Yang, in contrast to Pyrrha, crouched down with ease and scooped up the basket, tucking it under her arm. "I can do the crouching and you can do the throwing."

That time, she was the one to offer the smile.

Pyrrha's face brightened up instantly.

"That sounds wonderful!"

Zwei yipped in agreement.

So Yang and Pyrrha stepped into pairs of slippers, then headed outside with Zwei on their heels.

And that was how they spent their day – a day that anyone else might've wallowed through beneath a sulking cloud of regret.

Without her right arm, Yang couldn't throw.

And with her injured ankle, Pyrrha couldn't crouch.

Therefore, they made quite the perfect team.

Pyrrha would throw Zwei's toys across the yard, and once he had torn off to fetch them and bring them back, Yang would be the one to crouch down and retrieve them from his mouth.

They stood side by side, still in their sleep-clothes, as Zwei pelted across the yard to fetch each new toy Pyrrha threw for him.

It wasn't much of an activity for the girls since the dog was the one doing all the moving. But there was something to be said for just getting out of bed this morning, all things considered.

In addition to that, going outside and breathing in some fresh air was undoubtedly better than whittling away the hours indoors. Being outside took their minds off things, just for a while.

They'd chuckle whenever Zwei missed catching a ball, or stumbled over his own paws in his excitement. Yang would complain about the slobber on her palm, then threaten to wipe in on Pyrrha, who would shriek playfully.

By the time Zwei was too exhausted to play anymore, both girls were smiling.

"All right," Yang said at last. "I think that's enough for one day." She walked over to where Zwei had flopped down in the grass and scooped him up, cradling him against her chest. He wiggled happily and licked her chin. "Ugh, gross. I gotta shower."

As she brought Zwei back toward the house, Pyrrha reached out to scratch his head and coddle him a bit.

Once they were back inside, Pyrrha took a seat on the couch and Yang placed Zwei next to her. He crawled into Pyrrha's lap and cuddled up right away.

Yang went back outside to retrieve the toy basket, put that in its place under the coffee table, and then took her leave for a shower.

She still winced whenever she removed her shirt and actually had to look directly at what was left of her arm. It was an ugly reminder of reality, and she just wanted to focus on the kinder vibes she was still feeling.

It took her a little longer to undress, shower, wash her hair, and re-dress into clean sleepwear afterward.

There was so much she had to do differently now. Pulling on her shorts couldn't be done unless she was sitting down, and every time she put on a shirt, she had to wrestle her way through. She was going to need to start buying button-up shirts or shirts that zippered and came undone down the middle.

When she tried blow-drying her hair, she could only hold the hair dryer and move it around. She still found herself trying to move her right arm, wanting to run her fingers through her hair as she dried it. It was just another of many, many thing she'd have to get used to now.

When she finally finished, she came back into the living room to find Pyrrha cuddling Zwei on the couch. He gave a little yawn, then closed his eyes for a nap.

Pyrrha dipped her head to Yang in greeting as she took a seat beside her.

Yang didn't think or hesitate when she put her arm around Pyrrha's shoulders. She almost recoiled, but when Pyrrha snuggled in closer, Yang remembered this was all right now.

For a time, they simply sat in silence. What surprised Yang most of all was that it was a _comfortable_ silence.

Thoughts of Ruby still plagued her mind every now and again, but for the most part, she tried to focus on the present.

Before long, she felt herself becoming languid. A sigh from Pyrrha told her she was feeling sleepy as well.

And so both girls closed their eyes and enjoyed a nap together on the couch.

When they woke a while later, Pyrrha pulled Yang in for a brief kiss. Yang kissed back with a subtle fervor.

They were still getting used to this.

But it was becoming easier and easier with each new kiss, each new embrace, each new reassurance – wordless or otherwise.

By the time Tai had returned, both girls were still smiling, and the three of them held calm, normal conversations during dinnertime.

But that night, when Pyrrha wished Yang goodnight and made a move to head down the hall to her guest room, Yang took her hand and stopped her.

Pyrrha happily followed her back to her bedroom instead.

There, they curled up together, and kissed until they fell asleep.

* * *

 **A/N: It isn't much, but they are learning to recover in their own ways.**

 **Please review!**


	4. Decision

**I tried sticking mainly to canon events but changed how they happen. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4. Decision

For the next several days, Pyrrha and Yang continued making attempts at both physical and emotional recuperation.

They played with Zwei out in the yard every afternoon, Yang crouching and Pyrrha throwing, until they each felt confident enough to reverse their roles.

Soon, Pyrrha's ankle was healed enough to allow her to crouch down without risk of the stitches rupturing, and the level of pain had decreased significantly.

Conversely, Yang decided to try throwing Zwei's toys with her left arm. She was terribly clumsy at first, the arcs of her throws were never very large, and the ball often ended up only a few feet in front of her. But after a few hours a day of practicing, Yang began putting faith in her left arm, and Pyrrha began putting faith in her ankle.

Their steps to recovery were small and gradual, but they made sure to cover them every day. And at night, they would curl up together, pressing close as they shared many secret kisses.

They weren't sure how long it would take for them both to feel okay again.

But as things were now, they felt they could take their time.

* * *

About a week after Ruby left, Yang had been playing with Pyrrha and Zwei in the yard once again when her father approached her.

It was difficult for him to make the proposal about a new arm for her. He didn't want her to think she was incomplete or abnormal without it, but he wanted her to know she would always have that option available should she decide to accept. He ensured her that General Ironwood and his team had created a durable, modernized, and efficient prosthetic.

"I'm not saying you _have_ to use it," he told her. "But it might help you feel a little... well, a little more normal again."

Yang wasn't sure how to feel about that comment. She glanced at the limp right sleeve of her shirt, where the loose end had been tied into a ribbon thanks to Pyrrha. Yang frowned and looked from her arm to her father.

"What if _this_ is normal now, Dad?"

And Tai backed off right away.

"Then that's fine, honey. It's up to you. I just want you to know the prosthetic is an option. If you wanna check it out, it's in the shed."

And with that, he left the yard.

Yang was silent for a few minutes, head hanging as her eyes flicked from one arm to the other.

Her gaze was just traveling to the shed when she felt a hand on hers. Pyrrha moved up to stand beside her, curling their fingers together by means of support.

"Yang?" she said softly. "What are you thinking? Do you want to try out the prosthetic?"

Yang took in a deep breath, then released it in a sigh.

"I dunno. I'm gonna need some time to think it over."

"Of course." Pyrrha kissed her cheek sweetly. "Take as much time as you need."

Yang smiled briefly and kissed her cheek in return.

"Pyrrha? What... What do _you_ think I should do?"

Pyrrha squeezed her hand a little harder.

"I'm sorry. I don't really have an answer for that, Yang. I don't have an opinion that leans either way." She lifted Yang's hand up to her lips and pressed another kiss to the back of it. "I'll support you no matter what you decide. I'll love you either way."

Yang flinched, just a little. The last person she'd heard the word "love" from had been Ruby. She'd also never heard Pyrrha use it this way before.

Yang fell silent for a moment, but Pyrrha didn't let go of her hand. When Yang was finally ready, she gave a small shrug and looked to the shed.

"Then... I guess I should at least check it out..."

Pyrrha gave her fingers another gentle squeeze.

"All right. May I tag along?"

"Please."

Together, they left Zwei to sunbathe, and made their way to the shed.

Right in the center was a box which Tai had already opened. Yang knelt down, and Pyrrha could now crouch down beside her with ease. They began moving the tissue paper and packing material aside, until the prosthetic was revealed.

It was everything Tai had described it as. Pyrrha released Yang's hand so the blonde could reach out and run her fingers over the arm.

It was hard, cold, and limp, a contrast to her remaining arm. It made her realize she'd gotten too soft during her recovery time. The muscles in her left arm were weakened, and even if she should decide in favor of the prosthetic, it would hardly do her any good if her flesh arm wasn't as strong as the fake one.

But she wasn't planning on making a decision right then and there. She just wanted to understand her options.

When she was ready, she stood, and Pyrrha went with her. She didn't say, do, or imply anything that might suggest she was trying to sway Yang one way or the other. Pyrrha was entirely neutral and didn't care what she decided on.

When Yang knew her father had already picked a side, it was nice to know there was someone who wouldn't try to influence her.

After that, they headed back inside for the afternoon to have some lunch and ponder.

* * *

It was two days after that when they caught wind of some troubling news.

It was their first time going into town together. Yang had decided she'd stayed at home long enough, and the lingering pressure of the decision she'd eventually have to make weighed over her constantly.

Therefore, she'd made a proposition to Pyrrha, who had eagerly agreed to accompany her into town. Yang had offered Pyrrha her wardrobe, and after dressing in casual clothes, they had walked there to do a little bit of grocery shopping.

It was nice at first, because Yang got to see some people she'd known since childhood, like the shop-keeps and some neighbors. Evidently, her father had told them about her arm, or they had heard another way, because not a single one of them looked at her right side directly.

It was while they were waiting in line for their turn to select groceries from an outdoor food stand when they noticed the excessive bustling of the crowds. A pair of older women nearby were speaking too loudly for them not to hear.

"Did you hear the news about what happened in Atlas?"

"Oh, at that banquet, yes."

Instantly, Pyrrha and Yang stiffened, both of their minds only leading to thoughts of one person. They shared a glance, and came to a silent mutual decision.

"Pardon me," Pyrrha said gently tapping one of the women's shoulders. "We don't mean to pry, but would you mind telling us what happened in Atlas? With communications still down, we haven't heard much news recently."

The two women turned to them, both sighing.

"Well," one began. "My nephew was at that banquet, so I heard it directly from him. Evidently, that young heiress went out of control and set Grimm on the crowds."

"That Schnee girl _did_ always have a reputation for having a bad temper," the other woman grunted. "I heard General Ironwood himself had to interfere."

They continue gabbing, but Pyrrha and Yang had heard all they'd needed to hear already. Staggering back, eyes wide, they clung to one another for support.

"No way..." Yang muttered. "That... That can't be... Weiss wouldn't do that..."

"Absolutely not. It must have been an accident. Something must have happened to her..."

Frantically, the two of them began asking as many people as they could about the news.

Most people seemed to have the same opinion, that Schnee's youngest daughter had gone rouge and caused an uproar. But a few pitied her, believing it must have been an accident.

Pyrrha and Yang didn't need to make assumptions, though. They _knew_ it must've been an accident.

Of course, the rumors about the Schnee heiress were the most widespread that day. But as they went around town listening for news and gossip, they heard about other troubling things as well.

"Beacon's still a mess, I hear. No one even knows if the Academy is gonna reopen or not."

"Apparently those White Fang are on the move again. I thought they were supposed to be peaceful now, but they attacked that school."

"I heard they're becoming corrupt again."

"Who cares about that? Didn't you hear there's an invasion of Grimm heading to Mistral?"

Every new piece of information they heard was one they wished they hadn't been listening for.

Clearly, Weiss was in trouble back in Atlas, Blake and Sun could very well be compromised in Menagerie with the leaders of the White Fang, and as far as they knew Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Ruby were heading for Mistral.

Pyrrha and Yang just felt sicker with worry by the minute. By the time they eventually got back to the house, Tai was looking troubled as well.

They sat through a tense dinner that night, giving only bits and piece of information they knew or had heard. Tai agreed with them that Weiss had probably acted with good reason, or at least had never intended any harm. He also kept saying he was certain that if the Grimm were headed Ruby's way, she'd be smart enough to avoid them, or strong enough to defeat them.

But even though his words said it, Yang could tell his eyes didn't.

They didn't talk about the White Fang. That was still something Yang didn't want to think about so soon. While she was worried about Blake, she also knew she could handle herself, and if Sun was with her, it was for the better.

But that night was full of unease and tension. Even with Pyrrha beside her, Yang couldn't relax or take her mind off their teammates.

Pyrrha seemed equally as unnerved. She held onto Yang's hand and laid there in the darkness with her, knowing Yang wasn't sleeping any more than she herself was.

Eventually, Yang forced out a whisper.

"We've gotta do something... We can't just stay here..."

Pyrrha admitted she agreed to a certain point.

"I feel the same. But... I think we may need a little more time, Yang."

She was only being reasonable. Yang knew they couldn't simply pack up and leave tomorrow morning.

But she also knew the time for lying back on the couch and playing toss with Zwei in the yard was over. It was time they started getting serious.

Pyrrha could sense her conviction even without a single word needing to be said. They each turned on their sides to face one another. Pyrrha brushed her nose against Yang's.

"In any case, let's rest tonight. We can discuss things tomorrow. Does that sound all right?"

Yang took in a deep breath, then let it out steadily.

"Yeah. Sounds good."

They shared one small kiss before closing their eyes.

* * *

The next morning, they were up with the sunrise.

They got dressed in light clothes that were easy to move around in. Pyrrha tied her hair back into a tight ponytail, and when Yang indicated she'd like her hair the same way, Pyrrha happily tied it for her.

As soon as they were ready, they headed downstairs together, where Tai hadn't even started making breakfast yet.

For the past week, they'd come down quietly together, with their hair loose and their clothes ruffled from sleep, and without any spark of motivation in their eyes.

So naturally, when he saw them this morning, both dressed and ready to go with such unwavering determination in their eyes, he was surprised.

But only for a second. He'd known all along it wouldn't take much more time before he'd see this side of his daughter again.

He smiled.

"Morning, girls. What can I do ya for?"

Yang smirked just a little bit, then crossed the room to stand before him.

"Dad? I think I'm ready to try out that gift you got me."

* * *

 **A/N: BT and I wanted to have Yang accept the arm, but in a different way from the show. In the show, Tai basically pressures (almost bullies) her into using it. But here, I wanted to portray him as more supportive of her, even if she decided against it.**

 **Please review!**


	5. Back On Track

**I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was a little miffed with how Yang accepted her arm in the show. I think it would have been great if she could have just gone on without it and been 'normal' that way. But again, with what she needs to do and how quickly she needs to do it, I guess the prosthetic was the most logical option for her.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 5. Back On Track

It took Yang a while to get used to her new arm.

After she had customized it with a bit of bright yellow paint, and asked Pyrrha to untie the ribbon where her right sleeve hung loose, Tai helped her put it on. He and Pyrrha sat with Yang for a while in the shed as she got used to moving it around.

As soon as it was on her, the mechanisms adapted to the nerves left behind in her arm, and it was almost like her arm had never been lost in the first place.

It was difficult to control at first, but right away, there was just the feeling of something _being there_ at the end of her elbow, and it provided a sense of solace and sensory comfort Yang had been lacking since she'd last been at Beacon.

For the rest of that day, Yang got used to moving her artificial fingers, curling and uncurling them, twisting her wrist and turning her palm over.

It was strange for certain. The nerves on the inside felt like they were real and connected to something that would cooperate with them. But she still couldn't _feel_ things the way she'd used to.

She could still feel them, but just not in exactly the same way. After all, the way a real, flesh arm could feel and take in sensory information was very different from how a prosthetic could.

That was probably the hardest thing for Yang to get used to. She could move her arm and fingers well before long, but the haptic aspect took a bit more time.

She interlocked her warm fingers with her cold ones, trying to get used to the feeling of her hands touching one another again. Once she was as comfortable as she was going to get with her own touch, she reached out to hold Pyrrha's hand as well.

It was very different getting touch from another person, and she needed some time to register those feelings as well.

But when noontime finally hit, Yang felt it was about time they put their workout-ready attire to good use.

With Pyrrha's ankle almost healed by now, she could easily accompany Yang across the yard.

They started off small, playing once again with Zwei. Only this time, Yang threw and Pyrrha crouched.

Once the dog was exhausted, the girls started playing by themselves.

They used one of the cleaner handballs to toss back and forth to one another as they ran across the yard. This allowed Yang to get used to moving her arm, throwing, and catching with it. It allowed Pyrrha to strengthen her healing ankle and get used to running normally again, and it gave them both a bit of exercise overall.

Only when Tai called them for lunch did they take a break to eat together and hydrate themselves. But as soon as they were finished, they went right back to their basic levels of training.

Their first day passed by like that, without much exertion on anyone's part.

Yang was eager to try taking a shower now that she would be able to use two hands. She lathered her hair just as she always had, and when it came time to dry it, she was able to hold the hair dryer with one hand and comb through her hair with the other.

It was still strange for her. She'd lived her whole life with two hands, but had recently started getting use to living life with only one, and now she was back to two.

She knew she _could've_ gotten by with only one arm. But there was an urgency now to find her friends as quickly as possible, and as such, she believed that using the prosthetic was the most efficient option for her. She planned to make the most of it.

When she was ready for bed, Pyrrha was there waiting for her. She offered Yang her hand and helped her have a seat.

That night, Pyrrha relished the feeling of being held in both of Yang's arms.

And Yang was happy to keep her close.

* * *

The following day, they started to make their training a little more intense.

That morning, Yang had tied her ponytail herself, and she'd tied Pyrrha's for her to reciprocate the same favor Pyrrha had done for her the day before.

All morning long, Yang and Pyrrha arm-wrestled one another, both to assess the brute strength behind Yang's new arm, and to strengthen their muscles. They took breaks to lift weights in between matches, helping one another count the reps, raising the requirement number with every round.

Presently, both girls were sitting in the grass, both with a 30-pound weight in each hand. The vigor with which they were training, on top of the heat brought on by the midday sun, caused them both to sweat quite a bit. But they'd almost forgotten what that felt like, and now they were both grateful to have that back.

They'd missed the feeling of exercise, of using their muscles and strength in a healthy, non-strenuous manner. After all that had happened at Beacon, they were thankful to feel like they were back in simpler times now, training together as they'd used to.

Only now, there were six people missing.

Their teammates were constantly in the backs of their minds, which only served to motivate them more and more as they practiced.

Pyrrha was counting Yang's reps for her now, her voice bright and encouraging.

"Keep it up! Just twenty left to go, and then we'll have a water break."

Yang grit her teeth and persevered. It was odd for sure, because while her left arm felt like it was on fire, her right felt almost no strain at all. She could probably lift nonstop all day with that hand, but her human hand had human limitations, and she needed to adhere to those above all else.

Yang stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth as she continued lifting the weights in turn as Pyrrha counted down.

"Three... two... one! Perfect, Yang!"

With a sigh of relief, Yang dropped the weights into the grass and leaned back on her palms.

"Phew! Two-hundred never used to be a problem for me. I've gotten rusty for sure."

"As have I," Pyrrha agreed. "But that's to be expected, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah. You're right. Can't do anything about it now but get back on track."

"Right. But perhaps after a drink?"

"Sounds good."

Pyrrha got to her feet with ease and offered her hand down to her. Yang accepted with her prosthetic and jumped to her feet.

They were both about to head back to the house when a familiar yipping sound caught their attention. Zwei came bolting across the yard with two clean white towels lying across his back, and skidded to a halt in front of the girls. Pyrrha giggled, then bent down to pick them up.

"Oh, why thank you, Zwei! What a good helper!"

She handed one towel to Yang and used the other to dab over her own forehead and neck. Tai appeared in the doorway just then, holding two cold bottles of water.

"Come 'n get it!" he called with a grin.

The girls wiped their sweat and made their way to him. He tossed Yang her water bottle when she was still halfway across the yard, and she reflexively shot out her right hand to grab it.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, hun!" Tai laughed. "Just makin' sure you're paying attention."

Yang rolled her eyes as she uncapped her bottle and started chugging. Pyrrha, on the other hand, accepted her bottle from Tai directly.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

She started drinking, but before she could start making her way back to Yang, Tai stopped her with a grunt.

"Say, Pyrrha?"

She paused, swallowed, and turned back to him.

"Yes?"

The man wore a smile, but he avoided her eyes suddenly, lowering his voice.

"Just wanted to thank you. Y'know for... for supporting Yang through all this. I know it's been tough on all of us, but her in particular. She's... She's always getting left behind, you know? First her mother, then her teammates, now Ruby..."

Pyrrha visibly flinched at the mention of Raven. She hadn't even bothered to remember that woman since everything had ended. It was still a sore spot for her to recall those memories of witnessing Yang's own mother severing her arm.

Tai realized his blunder and apologized right away. "Sorry. Guess Raven's earned herself resentment from even more people now, huh?"

Pyrrha grunted.

"I can't disagree with you on that."

He nodded.

"Anyway, I'm just glad you're still here for Yang. Something tells me I don't have to worry about you leaving her, too."

At that, Pyrrha met his eyes directly, her tone serious.

"No, you don't, sir. Not at all."

Tai laughed.

"Oh geez, how many times do I have to tell ya, you don't have to call me 'sir'? Makes me feel old." He grinned again. "Anyway, thanks, Pyrrha. I'm glad I can trust you with Yang. She doesn't always wanna talk to her old man, y'know? So I'm glad she has you."

Pyrrha dipped her head to him politely.

"Believe me, sir. It's my pleasure to be with her. I'll stay with her no matter what."

The man nodded and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Glad to hear it."

With that, he let her go, and Pyrrha made her way back to Yang.

They put their water bottles and towels in the grass, then engaged in a light-contact sparring match. With Pyrrha's weapons still being repaired in town, she thought it best to practice hand-to-hand combat for her own benefit, as well as Yang's. Pyrrha wasn't used to this sort of fighting, however, so Yang took it slowly with her, and coached her on the basics.

"Y'know what they say: 'keep on your toes.' You can dodge and move a lot more quickly that way," she advised.

"I see."

"Don't take your eyes off me."

To that, Pyrrha smirked.

"Yang, I couldn't even if I wanted to."

And that caused Yang to burst out laughing.

Not Pyrrha, or anyone else, had heard that sound in over a month.

Yang held up a hand, begging Pyrrha to hold off for a moment while Yang composed herself. When she was ready, there was a grin on her face.

"Damn," she whistled. "I gotta step up my game."

Finally, they began their match.

Pyrrha's stance and speed were barely affected by her ankle now, and she moved with ease and grace just as she always had. Though she wasn't all that familiar with hand-to-hand combat, she put up a rather good fight, even with Yang as her opponent. She successfully blocked punch after punch Yang threw her way, but was also certain to keep an eye on her legs to side-step kicks.

And even though Yang was still getting used to her new arm, the rest of her body instantly recognized this routine. It felt good to put her old skills to the test again, if only casually.

She threw another punch, which Pyrrha dodged. But Yang followed up right away and grabbed her by the shoulder, clutching her shirt to get a grip. She tried to hold Pyrrha in place to land a kick, but Pyrrha twisted herself out of range and landed a jab to Yang's gut.

Yang got her revenge a moment later. She ducked down to avoid a swing, then tried to knock Pyrrha's legs from under her. When Pyrrha jumped to dodge it, Yang popped back up and threw out her right arm, which was substantially stronger than her left, and landed a hit on Pyrrha's shoulder. Even with the shield of her aura activated, Pyrrha was still knocked back a few steps by the hit. Yang reached out to grab her wrist so she wouldn't fall, and pulled her back into balance.

"Wow!" Pyrrha gasped. "Yang, that was excellent!"

"Aw, you flatterer."

"No, really!"

Yang pulled her in for a quick kiss.

The rest of their afternoon consisted of such sparring matches, interspersed with various compliments and words of advice for one another. They kept the contact light enough not to bruise one another when the hits landed, but hard enough to still strengthen their muscles.

By the end of the day, both girls were panting and covered in sweat. But they were grinning, enthralled by the ignition of this familiar flame. It felt good to practice like this again, to the point of healthy exhaustion.

At last, they decided to call it quits for the day. Yang checked to make sure her father wasn't watching before she pulled Pyrrha in for another kiss. Pyrrha looped her arms around Yang's neck and leaned in, panting against her mouth.

When they parted, they were more breathless from the kiss than they were from the hours of sparring.

Yang wiped her forehead and patted Pyrrha on the back.

"All right. Good match. How about we get some supper?"

"That sounds grand."

Together, they walked into the house, where the smell of dinner was already floating about the kitchen. Yang plopped down in her chair at the kitchen table and started wiping her face off with a towel, while Pyrrha excused herself to the bathroom.

Tai sauntered over to his daughter once they were alone, and placed a dish of meat and vegetables in front of her. Yang put her towel down.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Don't mention it." He then lowered his voice a bit. "So, uh, you like her, huh?"

Yang nearly choked on her food.

"W-What?! Dad-!"

"Oh, c'mon, you can't hide it from me, Yang. I see how you look at her," he winked. "She's a good kid. Dad approves. So, when are you gonna make a move?"

"Uh..."

Yang was thinking over how to break the news to him when Pyrrha came back into the room, gratefully accepting dinner. Tai and Yang dropped their conversation. But when her father winked at her again, Yang kicked his shin under the table.

The eventful day wrapped up rather quietly after that.

Yang and Pyrrha took turns in the shower, and afterward, Yang shooed her father into his own bedroom before he could see Pyrrha come into hers. Yang flopped down onto her bed, sighing heavily.

"Man... I'm beat."

Pyrrha sat beside her a little more gracefully.

"That means we had a successful day of training."

"You bet'cha." She rolled over onto her back and opened her arms. "C'mere."

Pyrrha smiled and happily lowered herself down into Yang's embrace. She kissed her deeply while Yang ran her fingers up through her red hair. When they parted, Yang sighed into Pyrrha's shoulder.

"We're on the right track though," she mumbled. "Just gotta keep this up, figure out a plan, and then we can start looking for them."

Pyrrha nodded.

"Yes. We've rested plenty. It's time to get back to work."

They shifted onto their sides, keeping their arms around one another. Yang lowered her tone just a little.

"Hey... Pyrrha?"

"...Yes?"

"...Thanks."

And Pyrrha didn't need to ask her what she was referring to.

She was grateful to Yang as well, but rather than say it with words, she showed it through another soft kiss.

They fell asleep in each other's arms once again that night, knowing it would be one of the last nights they'd spend in this room, but far from one of the last nights they'd spend together.

* * *

 **A/N: We're almost finished here. Stay tuned for the epilogue!**

 **Please review!**


	6. Epilogue - Open Roads

**I know we'd all like this to keep going, but this will be the end of this little story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Epilogue. Open Roads

The sound of a familiar engine revving surrounded the house.

Early-morning sunlight leaked down through the treetops, but despite the hour, the people moving about were wide awake.

Tai was in the kitchen, preparing as much food as his daughter's bags could carry. Zwei waddled around his shoes for a few minutes before darting out the door to check on the others.

Pyrrha and Yang were out in the yard, not far from where Bumbleby was on standby in the driveway. Both girls were adorning brand new clothes they'd purchased in town only a few days prior.

After nearly two weeks of resting, recuperating, and training together, they weren't able to stay put any longer. Knowing their friends and teammates were out there, struggling against whatever the world was throwing at them right now, Pyrrha and Yang couldn't simply sit back and relax any longer.

Pyrrha's weapons had been repaired, and in their most-recent training sessions, she and Yang had gone all-out against each other. They were now able to spar without holding anything back, able to attack and defend without getting a scratch on them.

Tai had actually been just a little relieved they had decided to set out, only because if they'd stayed for much longer, he knew they'd begin to damage the yard.

He'd known all along there wasn't anything that could keep his daughter down for long, not even something like what she'd suffered.

Yang admittedly had needed some time to herself.

But she was done feeling sorry for herself. She had a million better things to be doing.

Presently, she pulled her mane of yellow hair in through a high ponytail and tightened it. She then hoisted her suitcase onto the back of Bumbleby's luggage seat while Pyrrha grabbed the ropes and began to tie everything down. Pyrrha added her own bag and got everything balanced and secure.

Zwei darted around them both, and Pyrrha scooped him up into her arms one last time.

"Well, this is it! We'll be off now, Zwei! I promise the next time I come back to visit, I'll have Ruby with me." She patted his head before transferring him to Yang. The blonde gave his ears a good scratch and then kissed his head.

"Take good care of Dad, will ya, buddy?"

Zwei barked and licked her cheek.

Yang let him down just as Tai emerged from the house, carrying a few containers of food.

"Hey," he said. "Just packed ya a few things. You got that money, right?"

"Got it," Yang said, patting her coat's hidden inner pocket. She accepted the containers of food from her father and passed them to Pyrrha, who began packing them away into their bags. In the meantime, Yang gave her father one last hug.

"Thanks again, Dad."

"Don't get all sappy on me," he said. "Can't make your old man cry."

"Yeah, yeah."

Tai patted her back and held onto her for a second longer before letting her go.

"Be safe out there. And when you find your baby sister, make sure you give her an extra hard noogie for me."

Yang smirked.

"You got it."

With that, she turned back to her bike and swung her leg over to take a seat. Pyrrha said her farewells to Tai as well.

"I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here."

"Don't mention it!" he grinned. "I'm counting on you to make sure Yang doesn't overdo it."

"Uh, I'm right here y'know," his daughter huffed.

Pyrrha and Tai both shared a small smirk. Pyrrha nodded.

"I'll do my best, sir!"

"Ugh! Calling me 'sir' again!"

"Sorry!" she laughed.

With that, Yang revved the engine, and Pyrrha hopped into place behind her. Yang secured her own yellow helmet before passing a spare red one back for Pyrrha. It was the one she'd often give to Ruby when they'd go for rides together. Luckily, even despite her ponytail, it fit Pyrrha rather well.

Pyrrha wrapped her arms around Yang's stomach and gave a squeeze, more as a hug than as a means of holding on. Yang smiled over her shoulder at her.

"You ready to rumble?"

Pyrrha leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

"Yes!"

With that, Yang squared her shoulders, took one last look at her dad and her dog, then set her eyes directly on the road ahead. She kicked off, the engine roared, and the bike began rolling.

It picked up speed, until they were peeling off down the road with their hair snapping out behind them.

They'd made plans of where they were going first, and depending on how it went, they'd make their next move from there.

Hearts thumping and spirits high, Yang and Pyrrha held tightly to one another, and followed the rising sun.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's all she (I) wrote on this for now! Thanks again to BT for his support and awesome story ideas! I love writing them!**

 **Please review!**


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